Educate Congress About Refugees

Help Me Educate the 535 Members of Congress About Refugees

Here’s a true story from a naturalized U.S. citizen, a former refugee…

"I was enjoying the afternoon with some of my friends. Suddenly a bomb exploded in our midst.  I was, quite literally, blown up. We were all taken away as dead. 

In the morgue, they discovered that I was still alive. With repeated surgeries, and over a year in the hospital, I was put back together and I was able to walk out. 

But then I was taken away from my family and held as a prisoner in my homeland. Eventually, with the help of my family, I was able to escape.

We fled, becoming refugees.  We were separated from friends and family, but at least we were together. We were admitted to the U.S. to start our lives again.

With five and a half years in our new home, I became a citizen, thankful for the opportunity for myself, my wife, and my children."

Refugees are not terrorists, but they might be fleeing from terrorists. Or they might be victims of war. And no one should be prevented from trying to move their family to safety…

Hi, my name is Jeffrey Kirk. My wife and I have been helping refugees since 2001, working with a group from our church. As volunteers, we have helped 8 families start new lives in the United States.

In September 2001, there were two small groups at work. One was committed to love, the other committed to hate. The first small group began its work on September 7. The other ended its work on September 11.

The first small group worked hard to provide a new life to a single family.

The story above, the one about the naturalized U.S. citizen, is about the first family we helped resettle. They arrived at our house on September 7, 2001. You remember what happened 4 days later, on 9-11.

Yes, the second small group worked hard to take life away from thousands and hope from millions…

You never knew about small group number one even though its impact continues up to the present.

But you continue to hear about the impact of small group number two. Because if it weren’t for small group number two, we wouldn’t have public conversation about refugees.

Although small groups of love don't get the same attention as the small groups of hate, I like to believe that love will make a bigger difference in the end…

So what happened on September 11 in the story you don’t know about?

This newly-arrived refugee family was living in our house until we could get them into an apartment of their own. Though we could not fully communicate due to language barriers, we understood their fear as the events of that day unfolded. They felt as if the war they fled had followed them here.

But the story did not end that day for these refugees…

This family is now quite successful. They purchased a house in our city. The children are all grown and have good jobs. The father retired after years of dedication to a single company, while his wife remains employed with the company that originally hired her.

Refugees make a difference in the communities where they settle. And they make a difference in the lives of those around them, especially those who help them start over.

Because of this, and based on our personal experience with each of eight refugee families and the successful outcomes, I wrote a book called 10 Million To 1: Refugee Resettlement-A How-To Guide.

This book is specifically written for volunteers who want to help refugees start over in our country, but it also helps others understand the process.

It explains how refugees get to the U.S., shows how to receive refugees on the day they arrive, and gives guidance through the point where they are self-sufficient in this great land – as contributing members of society.

Would it be a good idea for members of Congress to see refugees as real people, to understand the blessings that come with refugees, to see that refugee resettlement makes a positive difference to American citizens, our communities, and our country?

We can accomplish this if we work together by sending each Congressperson a copy of my book along with your personal letters.

Here’s a summary of how you can help (details are below). If you can help with just 1 of these steps, your contribution is appreciated:

1.  Donate to this campaign.

2.  Write a letter and make 3 versions, one that I can send to each of your two Senators and your Representative.

   ·   If who don’t know your members of Congress, look them up here.

   ·   If you want a template letter to help you, click here.

   ·   Make 3 copies of your letter, addressing each copy to a single Congressperson.

   ·   Include your name and address as verification that you are in their state or district.

   ·   Sign the letters.

   ·   Send the letters to me so that I can include them with a book.

   ·   Mail them to my attention at this address:
         Jeffrey Kirk
         Up At Dawn, LLC
         P.O. Box 2023
         Waukesha, WI  53187-2023

3.  Tell others who care about this issue.

   ·   For best results, I want to include a nice pile of personal letters with every book.

Together we will raise the importance of refugee resettlement. Perhaps your letters will get some Congresspersons to glance at my book. Perhaps the book gets them to read your letters. Either way, it’s a win!

Here are the details and more background information:

Every year the U.S. President and Congress set a quota for the number of refugees that will be allowed into the United States during the year.

Because of a recent executive order, all refugee admittance into our country has been paused for 120 days. One explanation behind this delay is to come up with a plan for better vetting of refugees.

There have been some challenges to the executive order. Maybe it will stand, or perhaps it will be stopped or overturned by the courts. Regardless of what happens, it’s still important for our Senators and Representatives in Congress to understand the issues regarding refugees so they can remain in favor of continued support.

I realize, due to various news headlines, that people might be afraid of refugees. After all, refugees are people we don’t know, who get here through a process we don’t understand. So there is natural hesitation.

At the same time, it is a priority for every President to keep the American people safe. When the desire for safety meets the fear of the unknown, strange things can happen.

However, those of us involved in refugee resettlement are aware of the extreme vetting that already takes place before a refugee is permitted into the U.S.

For example, when a refugee flees his country and shows up in another country, he must first be classified as a refugee by the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR). Just this one step can take years, and they are not permitted resettlement into another country until after than happens.

Back in 2010, I spoke with a woman from UNHCR who was working at a refugee camp in Africa. She told me that new arrivals could immediately register with UNHCR, but at that time they were still handling the cases of individuals who arrived in 1997. People were already in this refugee camp for 13 years before they would even have a chance to resettle in another country!

Once a refugee’s case is approved, and they are deemed a legitimate refugee, then they can qualify for resettlement. After this, there is a chance the refugee could go to the United States. But before any refugee can come here, the refugee goes through numerous screenings set up by existing U.S. policy.

Here's a graphic I saw recently published by Rescue.org…


You might be getting a picture of what refugees must go through before they can arrive on U.S. soil.

I think you can also imagine that there are numerous ways to get into the United States which are easier and faster than going through the very rigorous refugee resettlement program.

So, now what? What happens while we are in this 120-day pause? My hope is that the President and members of Congress are using this time to understand the issue and communicate with their constituents.

If that happens we can return to helping some of the world’s most vulnerable people start new lives. That’s something we have done pretty well in this country. It’s one of the very positive things our country is known for.

And now we get back to the fundraising needs…

As I mentioned in the introduction, it would be a good idea for members of Congress to know what those involved in refugee resettlement already know.

They need to understand that refugees are people coming from unimaginable situations. Refugees want stability in their lives, and they want the opportunity to be valued as human beings. As we help refugees, they also make a difference for us personally, in our communities, and in our county.

Some people encouraged me to send each Congressperson a copy of my book. A couple other friends pointed out that our Representatives and Senators are extremely busy, not willing to easily give up their time to read an unsolicited book.

It was suggested that I find someone recognizable and respected to endorse my book. That way it would get some attention, and perhaps a congressional aide might read some highlights and report on some key points.

I think that is a great idea, but I am not well-enough-connected to know someone who might be respected by a large majority of Congress. If, in the process of this campaign someone steps forward, that would be great, but I don’t want to wait for that to happen. We could be well beyond the 120 days by that time.

So, upon further consideration, I asked, “Who does each Congressperson really need to hear from?” The answer is their constituents. You!

But a single letter from a single constituent with no prior relationship does not carry much weight either. Therefore, it seems best to make this a cooperative effort.

Ideally, I would like to get letters from you, individually addressed to each of your Congresspersons, telling why you believe accepting refugees is important. This could be personal, it could relate to your community, or it could be about the impact to our country as a whole.

Then, I will unite all of the letters that go to a single Congressperson, and add one of my books. That package will be shipped to their address. If I receive enough funding and letters, I will be able to send a package to each Congressperson.

The funds I am requesting will be enough to cover books, packaging, and shipping expenses for each of the 535 members of Congress.

Thank you for your participation.

Sincerely,
Jeffrey Kirk

P.S. If you would like me to send a book to your state legislators, that is possible too. My priority is U.S. Congress first since there is a specific and timely need. But if there is excess funding, and I receive letters for members of state governments, I am happy to spread the message further.